Wicked Local's Winter Funcation will keep the family busy Feb. 22

Wednesday

Feb 22, 2017 at 10:15 AMFeb 22, 2017 at 4:52 PM

Bring the family to the Kingston Collection in Kingston today (Feb. 22) for a free day of non-stop fun featuring everything from storytelling, puppets and educational activities, to games, prize competitions, appearances by costumed characters, face painting and live musical performances.

By R. Scott Reedy

If you’ve been dreading February school vacation week and the stir craziness that often accompanies it, Wicked Local has just the cure for your cabin fever – Winter Funcation 2017.

“Winter Funcation 2017 is the answer to every parent’s prayer. February school vacation can seem a lot longer than a week, and boredom, frustration and fidgeting can lead to frayed nerves,” explains Wicked Local Event Marketing Manager Ellen Bluestein. “So we’ve created a free winter festival event specifically designed for parents who are looking for something new and different to do with their kids during school vacation.”

On Wednesday, Feb. 22, bring the family to the Kingston Collection in Kingston for a free day of non-stop fun featuring everything from storytelling, puppets and educational activities, to games, prize competitions, appearances by costumed characters, face painting and live musical performances.

And the activities aren’t only for the kiddos either. For parents and grandparents, there will be exhibitors showcasing their child-focused programs, goods and services. These will include Cardinal Cushing Centers, Mamma Mia’s, McDonald’s of Eastern Massachusetts, Su Escuela Language Academy, Polar Beverages, K1 Speed, Plymouth Sports Complex, the Old Colony YMCA and more.

The morning will likely find younger children getting their faces painted, spending time with their favorite costumed characters and settling in for some classic storytelling by Big Joe and music by the Toe Jam Puppet Band, which offers its own brand of children’s entertainment that grown-ups can also enjoy.

Children and parents alike are invited to sing and dance along with the band as they offer up an engaging combination of original songs, masterful shadow puppetry and storytelling.

While Winter Funcation 2017 is primarily geared to elementary-school-aged children, there will be something for kids of all ages. Indeed, the early afternoon will likely see their older sisters and brothers on their feet for rising pop stars Julia Minichiello and Nicole Michelle, and headliners “3D.”

With their smooth-as-silk harmonies and electrifying dance moves, up-and-coming teen pop-music sensations 3D are poised to become the next girl group to climb the charts. Currently working with a team of Grammy-winning song writers and producers in a Los Angeles recording studio laying down tracks for their debut album, Boston’s own Jazmin Alexis and Emily Shively, both 14, and Meadow Armstrong, 13, will be back home for this special area appearance on the Funcation main stage. The artists will be available for meet-and-greets with fans following their performances.

“The Kingston Collection is the perfect location for this type of winter festival,” according to Bluestein. “It is home to many shops, restaurants and entertainment venues with special appeal to families and children, and some of them will even be conducting special activities in conjunction with Winter Funcation 2017."